Recommendations for "Value Chains (90 results)"
Support food supply chains and avoid disruptions in food movement and trade (including providing clear health and safety guidelines for food workers).
Ensure smallholder-friendly financing and investment. Increasing capital flows toward rural areas requires innovation in the channels and instruments through which financial services are offered to smallholders, including young people. When it comes to smallholders, however, more research is needed to explore the viability and benefits of these innovative services before they can be scaled up.
2013
Focus on key logistics of bottlenecks in the food value chains to avoid unnecessary spikes in the cost of food, in particular the affordability of diversified safe and nutritious food for all.
2020
Lower trade barriers can promote global value chains and contribute to growth in agriculture and the food industry. Every time products cross borders, they are subject to import tariffs, which escalate along global value chains and hinder value-added creation.
2020
Trade policies that foster open markets should be complemented by measures that improve the capacity to compete in modern global value chains. These include investments in infrastructure, effective regulation and, most importantly, measures targeting the upgrade of skills for farmers and workers.
2020
Global value chains, when combined with sustainability certification schemes, can help align global efforts to address sustainability challenges. Harmonizing sustainability standards and certification across countries can facilitate their application to agri-food global value chains.
2020
Regional trade agreements can stimulate global value chain participation, as well as spur institutional and policy reform. But as many vulnerable countries continue to rely on global markets, international efforts should also promote multilateral trade.
2020
Increased awareness on the contribution of trade and global value chains to growth and food security is important in addressing the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Policies that promote international trade add to efficiency gains and strengthen resilience to shocks.
2020
GVC‑related trade has a stronger positive impact on productivity and income per capita compared to bilateral non‑GVC trade. Participation in GVCs may enable greater competitiveness, better inclusion in trade and investment flows, and improved access to technology and knowledge, all of which help to upgrade towards higher value‑added activities.
2020
The impact of increased GVC participation is likely to vary depending on policies that promote the mobility of production factors, especially labour, and on conditions that allow economic activity to expand, such as investments in human capital through better skills, improved infrastructure and effective regulation.
2020
Business enterprises involved in agriculture and food systems are encouraged to inform and communicate with other stakeholders, conduct due diligence before engaging in new arrangements, conduct equitable and transparent transactions, and support efforts to track the supply chain.
2014
Strengthen transparency in price formation processes and access to markets to improve the ability of all farmers, with special attention to smallholders, women and young farmers, to benefit from market returns to their labor and financial investments and reinforce their role in the food value chain.
2017
Expand farmers’ participation in food value chains by establishing and promoting local, regional, and international linkages in food value chains (FVCs), as well as encouraging farmers to participate in FVCs that incorporate agri-food processing, distribution and service sectors, which may increase income in agriculture and rural areas. Support farmers to maximize the value of their agricultural products, including through farmers’ organizations and cooperatives, which can contribute to ensuring that FVCs’ value-added is distributed to rural areas and farmers.
2016
Promote global responsible investment and trade for food value chains, in particular in developing countries, through better application of internationally recognized labor, social and environmental standards, principles and commitments, in particular the Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI), the OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains and the New Alliance Analytical Framework for Responsible Land-Based Investments.
2016
Enabling the environment for job creation and inclusive growth in the agri-food sector of developing countries can alleviate the causes of rural exodus and irregular migration. Agri-food trade, through transparent and well-functioning markets and in line with the WTO commitments, also contributes to promoting FVCs globally and opening new opportunities for rural producers. In addition, trade can contribute to reducing food price volatility.
2016
Increase the focus on responsible investment to establish and improve environmentally-friendly and disaster-resilient quality infrastructure, across food value chains, emphasizing the reduction of food loss and waste and GHG emissions, while taking into consideration the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.
2016
Improve handling, storage, processing and preservation to enhance value chain efficiency and resilience, reduce post-harvest losses, food loss and waste and ensure food safety to increase the availability, accessibility and affordability of nutritious foods.
2021
Keep international food trade open and strengthen global, regional and local diversified value chains for safe, fresh and nutritious food. It is crucial to maintain global food trade open, and to keep food markets functioning.
2021
Improve inter-regional logistics and distributional systems along with better linkages between rural and urban areas, as well as strengthening local food economies resilience to external shocks.
2021
Sustainably developed FVCs that increase efficiency and productivity, and in particular, reduce food loss and waste, can contribute to the fight against food insecurity, increase natural resource efficiency and reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) emission.
2019
Develop respective FVCs in an inclusive and equitable manner, to the mutual benefit of all participants including family farmers, smallholders, women and youth, by empowering them to make the most use of innovation and knowledge, taking note of the United Nations Decade of Family Farming.
2019
Facilitate ongoing international efforts to improve trade rules affecting agriculture, noting that measures inconsistent with international rules and obligations may undermine the efficient functioning of FVCs, calling on all countries to respect their obligations in this area.
2019
Recognize that FVCs can also help revitalize rural areas along with other activities such as agrotourism and promotion of local produce which contribute to increase product value added and income for farmers.
2019
Implement resilient FVCs in light of increasing extreme weather, degradation of natural resources, outbreak of pests and diseases and excessive price volatility.
2019
Countries’ own farm structure, hard and soft infrastructure in production, processing and distribution, expected roles played by producer’s organization and consumers’ buying behavior need to be taken into account in order to achieve effective and sustainable growth of the agro-food sector.
2019
Need for focusing on agro-food value chains toward inclusive and sustainable growth of the agro-food sector
2019
Overcome obstacles which prevent women from being equal contributors to and beneficiaries of FVCs. In particular, the promotion of women’s empowerment through equitable access to innovation and skills training is important to the sustainable development and growth of the agro-food sector.
2019
Emphasize the importance of local, regional and international FVCs in adding domestic value, noting that the larger share of farmers’ income is typically derived from their domestic markets in most countries.
2019
Food loss and waste requires a comprehensive food systems approach, covering all levels of the agri-food value chains, from production in the field, through harvest and postharvest, storage, transport, processing and distribution, and up to the consumer level; including prevention and awareness-raising, as a priority in policy development, in order to reach sustainable food systems.
2018
Explore innovative options for adjusting agricultural development paths, technology systems, policy environment and resource allocations, so as to generate new opportunities for sustainable and inclusive growth, stimulate the productivity of land, capital and labor, and enhance the quality efficiency and inclusiveness of food value chain.
2016
Pursue a comprehensive food systems approach taking into consideration the entirety of food value chains from production through food processing and distribution to retailing and consumption.
2015
Invest at all stages of food value chains to increase productivity, generate employment and incomes and reduce food loss and waste.
2015
Governments should give priority to linking smallholder farmers to domestic, national and regional markets, as well as to new markets that create direct links between producers and consumers, and to schemes that rely on smallholders for the procurement of food for school and institutional feeding programmes. Developing these market linkages also requires investment in small- and medium-size food processors, and small-scale traders at the retail and wholesale levels. Market failures and price volatility are major disincentives for smallholder investment. Government intervention is important to reduce transaction costs on markets and to stabilize prices and smallholders’ incomes. Regarding contracting opportunities in value chains, governments should strive to establish the necessary regulatory instruments to bridge the significant gap in economic and political power that exists between smallholders and their organizations on the one side, and the other contracting organizations on the other side.
2013
Focus on broad-based growth, not just on youth, to create an economic environment in which food system businesses can thrive and generate jobs for both young and old.
2020
Accelerating shifts towards territorial supply chains and ethical consumerism.
2021
Conversion-free supply chains: Mobilize buyers, traders, and financiers of agricultural commodities to purchase or finance only commodities not linked to deforestation or other ecosystem conversions.
2019
Improve supply chain management during industrial or domestic processing and/or packaging to reduce food loss and waste
2019
More energy- and water-efficient food processing.
2016
Reduce food losses based on the objective of doing so, and on product group and value chain segment, by combining focused technical interventions with increased services for agrologistics, finance and training, bearing in mind that the evidence base is still shaky.
2021
Integrate regional markets to develop comparative advantages in food production – a useful strategy when domestic resources are constrained.
2021
Improve labour market functioning and the business climate. Further development of agrifood midstream SMEs can support competitive conditions and contribute to a better functioning labour market.
2021
Facilitate small-scale local food processing industries that provide new bottom-of-the-pyramid business and employment opportunities – especially for women and youth – and that increase access to a wider variety of food products.
2021
Improve shared public infrastructure (irrigation, processing and packaging facilities, food safety measures, physical and virtual market spaces, supportive zoning and regulation, roads that link urban and rural markets, and start-up funds) for informal, newly emerging and alternative markets that promote short food supply chains to improve income and lower barriers to entry for youth producers, entrepreneurs and traders.
2021
Improve shared public infrastructure (irrigation, processing and packaging facilities, food safety measures, physical and virtual market spaces, supportive zoning and regulation, roads that link urban and rural markets, and start-up funds) for informal, newly emerging and alternative markets that promote short food supply chains to improve income and lower barriers to entry for youth producers, entrepreneurs and traders.
2021
Improve shared public infrastructure (irrigation, processing and packaging facilities, food safety measures, physical and virtual market spaces, supportive zoning and regulation, roads that link urban and rural markets, and start-up funds) for informal, newly emerging and alternative markets that promote short food supply chains to improve income and lower barriers to entry for youth producers, entrepreneurs and traders.
2021
Support research that improves the viability and efficiency of value chains for new, sustainable products that can contribute to healthier diets.
2022
Support value chain development projects which create the conditions and investable project propositions for private financing.
2022
Support environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive value chain and sector development by investing in the processes that enable coordination among value chain actors and the collective implementation of sustainable and equitable practices.
2022
Invest in human capacity needed to innovate and diversify value chains by supporting agricultural education, advisory services, vocational training programmes and institutions, providing technical assistance and investing in technology transfer.
2022
Prioritize capacity-building for MSMEs to build and expand existing localized value chains and create an enabling environment, with a specific focus on women, youth and other underrepresented entrepreneurs.
2022
Pilot innovative credit and insurance programmes that can increase stability in value chains and decrease vulnerability of individual producers and processors.
2022
Interventions along food supply chains are needed to increase the availability of safe and nutritious foods and lower their cost, primarily as a means to increase the affordability of healthy diets. This pathway calls for a coherent set of policies and investments from production to consumption aimed at realizing efficiency gains and cutting food losses and waste to help achieve these objectives.
2021
Non-tariff trade measures can help improve food safety, quality standards and nutritional values, as well as minimize any unintended consequences, but they can also drive up the costs of trade and hence food prices, negatively affecting the affordability of healthy diets.
2021
Policy measures, including food standards, fiscal, labelling, reformulation, public procurement and marketing policies can shape healthier food environments.
2021
Interventions along food supply chains are needed to increase the availability of safe and nutritious foods and lower their cost, primarily as a means to increase the affordability of healthy diets. This pathway calls for a coherent set of policies and investments from production to consumption aimed at realizing efficiency gains and cutting food losses and waste to help achieve these objectives.
2021
Improving access and affordability of healthy diets through school food and nutrition programmes (among others) especially ones designed to improve dietary diversity, while also encouraging the purchase of fresh food from local producers. In-kind transfers, especially in places where food markets are not functioning well, could increase access to nutritious foods, in addition to food subsidies, especially those focused on nutritious foods and targeted at the most vulnerable.
2021
Non-tariff trade measures can help improve food safety, quality standards and the nutritional value of food, and minimize any unintended consequences, but they can also drive up the costs of trade and hence food prices, negatively affecting the affordability of healthy diets.
2021
Reconnect consumers and producers through the development of alternative food networks and focus on rethinking value addition and commercialization to improve the functioning of food systems and ultimately change societal value systems towards sustainability and ethical thinking.
2021
Blending agroecology with territorial approaches can help empower rural communities and bring agroecology to scale, for example by implementing territorial certification schemes and shorter value chains to improve access to markets and increase incomes of small-scale producers.
2023
There are opportunities to invest in processing SMEs, through the identification of specific value chains and products that can both be nutritious and provide value-added livelihood opportunities for value chain participants.
2023
Policies to enable the potential of small and intermediate cities and towns (SICTs) for growth, poverty reduction and improved access to affordable healthy diets should facilitate the flow of people, products and resources between such cities and their rural catchment areas, but also expand the reach of local agriculture to more distant markets.
2023
Better linkages between producers, agro-industrial processors, agricultural and non-agricultural services, and other downstream segments of the agrifood value chain could provide more opportunities for SME development and, from a spatial perspective, could turn small and intermediate cities and towns (SICTs) into crucial “food exchange” nodes.
2023
The increased use of mobile phones in LMICs has contributed to the adoption of other services such as mobile money, enabling reduced transaction costs and enhanced financial inclusion. Mobile money can improve farmers’ access to higher-value markets (thus increasing their income) and to off-farm income sources as well.
2023
Innovative approaches that enhance the capacity of SMEs to increase the availability of nutritious and safe food, improve the food environment, and facilitate the consumption of healthy diets are key.
2023
E-commerce platforms offer opportunities to increase affordability of healthy diets, by shortening value chains and increasing market access.
2023
Monitor and limit concentration of ownership (over land, transport, wholesale, retail, etc.) in food systems.
2023
Ensure that supply chains, especially local ones, are enabled to provide improved access to nutrient-dense foods for all consumers at affordable prices.
2023
Harness digital technologies to establish and strengthen more direct links between producers and consumers offering opportunities for economic diversification, including through brokering sustainable finance initiatives, market opportunities and solidarity economy initiatives.
2019
Facilitate the use of social media and digital networking to promote producers’ leadership and engagement in relevant processes and to increase availability and access to affordable and reliable networks.
2019
Foster partnerships between public and private sectors to invest in infrastructure, logistics, and technology innovations that streamline the supply chain and minimize losses.
2023
Improve the circular economy to ensure that that the fraction of food that could not be consumed by humans is properly used for feed, energy, or other industries.
2023
Improve market access and value addition for farmers, especially for women.
2023
Improve food production, harvesting and distribution practices to avoid damaging or contaminating (e.g. with aflatoxins) food products, which could end up being discarded based on qualitative criteria.
2023
Prioritize investments in crop diversity that can lead to increased accessibility, affordability, and appeal of safe and healthy diets when carried out alongside upgrades to market infrastructure and nutrition and hygiene education among farmers, value chain actors, and consumers.
2024
Align actions throughout agrifood systems to ensure that diverse, nutritious foods are available to all people, including vulnerable populations, through the value chain – from farm to table.
2024
Food producers, retailers and traders can be incentivized to improve the nutritional quality of the food supply by reformulating unhealthy foods high in fats, sugars and salt and by fortifying staple foods (i.e. universal salt iodization, fortification of maize flour, cornmeal, rice, wheat flour, vegetable oil with vitamins and minerals).
2024
Strengthen economic resilience of the most vulnerable to economic adversity by strengthening agrifood productivity and market linkages along the food supply chain; curbing rises in food prices and excessive price volatility; boosting decent job creation; expanding social protection schemes and school feeding programmes.
2024
Intervene along agrifood supply chains to lower the cost of nutritious foods by increasing investments for nutrition-sensitive agricultural production and productivity; increasing efficiency of nutritious food value chains; reducing nutritious food loss and waste; promoting food biofortification; enacting mandatory food fortification; improving rural roads and infrastructure (e.g. nutritious food storage facilities).
2024
Foster diversity of midstream food actors through mechanisms to support small‑scale and informal‑sector actors, including the development and maintenance of public food infrastructure (for example wholesale, traditional and digital markets), and ensuring fair supply‑chain practices to redistribute value.
2024
Strengthen different types of markets and retailers (wholesale, traditional, wet, weekly) in the urban and peri-urban areas in enabling access to healthy and affordable foods and promoting livelihoods.
2024
Promote and support circularity through composting, biogas digestion, feeding waste to livestock, donation of surplus food to food redistribution programmes, etc.
2024
Smallholder farmers need to be better organized to link to modern value chains through producer organizations that have the technical, commercial and financial resources necessary to position their members as credible business partners to agribusinesses.
2017
Carefully review policies that may unjustifiably privilege formal retail food outlets over more informal markets that provide points of connection between small producers and lower income consumers, including periodic rural markets and street vendors.
2020
Consider adopting stronger regulation, including competition policy, to empower small and medium agri-food enterprises (SMEs) to participate in national, regional and global supply chains.
2020
Value chains investments designed in collaboration with the private sector
2019
Public-private partnerships for agri-food system upgrading. Coordination and linkage support to key supply-chain participants, including farmers, FOs and SMEs, would benefit management and transparency of supply chains, quality of final products and profit stability of the value-chain actors.
2016
Make much greater investments in data collection and analysis across the entire food system, particularly for the “hidden middle,” to underpin policies for inclusive value chains
2020
Promote inclusive food supply chain development by leveraging the transformations already taking place in downstream food supply chains, particularly the expansion of small and medium-sized enterprises and growth of off-farm employment
2020
Rebuild local agriculture and food value chains to help conflict-affected people move beyond subsistence agriculture, rejoin exchange markets, adopt climate-smart practices, and become resilient to economic and climatic shocks
2020
Creation of incentives for local or regional sourcing and investment in sustainable local supply chains.
2016